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I have already had tests done. Everything came back fine - the only thing that was low was my vitamin D levels (only a little low). My doctor suggested I take a vitamin D and a vitamin B supplements. It helped a *tiny* bit but honestly no where near enough. I am still exhausted everyday despite getting enough sleep. Last night i probably fell asleep around 11:45/midnight and woke up at 8 AM for work. But i am EXHAUSTED. shouldn't that be enough sleep? meanwhile my boyfriend came to bed around midnight and got up at 6:30 AM for work and was totally energized. I am at my wits end with this. I'm so tired of being tired. one of my thyroid levels came back at 2.4 (maybe t3? i forget) and i was reading online that despite the upper limit being 4.0, some doctors treat hypothyroid at levels above 2.0. could it be that?
What other options do I even have at this point? I exercise 4-5 times per week, i have a relatively healthy diet, i eat mostly real whole foods with a little bit of treats mixed in, i'm 130 pounds at 5'5" so i feel like i can rule sleep apnea out of the equation.... i just don't know what else to do. Could it be depression? The only thing causing me depression is being SO tired all of the time otherwise i don't feel depressed.
You don't say your age. Could be thyroid and there are MD's who treat with desiccated thyroid support and go by symptoms....the medical world NOW is all numbers.
Read Stop The Thyroid Madness. They have a blog too.
Before I was diagnosed hypothyroid over 15 years ago, I was incredibly tired. My TSH was 10 when diagnosed, which is pretty darn high. Lab tests now say anything over 4 is hypo, but many experts believe that optimal is 2 or under. However, many doctors will only run TSH and should be running free T3 too to get a better picture. Try telling them that!
Things you can do to help your thyroid would be to make sure you get selenium and iodine either in your diet or in a good supplement. Also make sure to cook your cruciferous vegetables rather than eating raw.
Since you saw your doctor already, I'm assuming conditions like diabetes or anything heart related have been ruled out.
Hope you find the cause of your fatigue and feel better soon.
Before I was diagnosed hypothyroid over 15 years ago, I was incredibly tired. My TSH was 10 when diagnosed, which is pretty darn high. Lab tests now say anything over 4 is hypo, but many experts believe that optimal is 2 or under. However, many doctors will only run TSH and should be running free T3 too to get a better picture. Try telling them that!
Things you can do to help your thyroid would be to make sure you get selenium and iodine either in your diet or in a good supplement. Also make sure to cook your cruciferous vegetables rather than eating raw.
Since you saw your doctor already, I'm assuming conditions like diabetes or anything heart related have been ruled out.
Hope you find the cause of your fatigue and feel better soon.
she did the t3 when i asked for it. here are my complete results:
i think those are all normal so i feel as though hypothyroid is not the cause i really was convinced that's what it was but now i don't after seeing my blood test results.
i *DID* however get my whole entire chart history from my doctor including lab results. the TSH hovers around 2.0 every test except for one time it was 4.000 u[iu]/mL but that was back in 2015.
i just don't know what to do - do i go back and like demand that she treat me for hypothyroid despite my test results since i read that some dr's treat it when tsh is at 2.0??
You may want to consider a consult with a Naturopathic/Holistic doctor.
Even if you "demand" that your doc treat you for hypo, it may be with meds that don't truly correct the issue. I think too Naturopaths are a bit more open to interpretation of test results.
Just curious, do you have any of the other frequent signs of hypo? Dry skin or hair? Joint aches?
You may want to consider a consult with a Naturopathic/Holistic doctor.
Even if you "demand" that your doc treat you for hypo, it may be with meds that don't truly correct the issue. I think too Naturopaths are a bit more open to interpretation of test results.
Just curious, do you have any of the other frequent signs of hypo? Dry skin or hair? Joint aches?
How would I go about finding a doctor like that? I didn't think they could give prescriptions/medications?
And yes to other symptoms - funny you mention the hair - the texture in my hair has definitely changed over the past few years when i really felt the fatigue set in... it just is really dry and brittle. i'm 29 and i look back on pictures from college when i 20-22 and my hair was so shiny and looked so healthy, now it's just dull and brittle. another thing i noticed is i feel like my face is puffy. i don't know if that's a symptom or not but just something i noticed.
Is getting 8 hours of sleep a night usual for you, or was this a one-time thing?
the usual more or less. on the weekends i sometimes sleep longer since i don't have to get up for work. sometimes on the weekends i sleep until 11 AM and feel like i could literally stay in bed and sleep all day. i would think sleeping in until 11 AM i should feel well rested.
A lot of chiropractors take nutritional approaches. There is a lot of good online stuff out there as well.
I would start with basic electrolytes like calcium, magnesium ,potassium and sodium.
And you may be over training....
I have the most trouble not getting enough sodium. I am usually reminded if a drink a little water and still end up thirsty. If you typically don't eat much processed food you are most likely to be deficient. It used to be a big problem. recall "worth your salt".
OP, if TSH tends toward a high normal, while T3 or T4 tend toward low normal, that divergent pattern is a sign of underlying thyroid disease. But you said your levels were closer to normal than that...? Consider a liquid Vit B12 product. Women can be low in B12, which is something that accompanies thyroid disease.
Brittle nails and hair, extremely painful menstrual periods, being a light sleeper, intolerance for very hot or cold weather, and fatigue with occasional bursts of energy, kind of like nervous energy, sleep that's not refreshing. restorative; chronic headaches, are some of the symptoms of thyroid disease. You say you exercise several times/week, so the fatigue isn't so debilitating that you can't work or exercise, right?
A naturopathic doctor can give you non-prescript thyroid remedies. S/he can also test you for signs of adrenal fatigue, which can be linked to low thyroid. You may or may not be in the early stage of adrenal fatigue. Since you report that you sleep solidly, at least, with no apparent apnea (?), adrenal fatigue may not be the case. Perhaps you could ask your primary care doc to order a sleep test for you, to see if there might be apnea present. Insurance will cover it. Insurance doesn't cover the adrenal stress index test, and it doesn't like to cover the blood test for thyroid antibodies, because it's expensive. A naturopath or an MD who doesn't accept insurance could order that test for you.
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otherwise i don't feel depressed.
